Adirondack Living - July 2024

LAKE PLACID NEWS

Keep Your Home Cozy with Energy-Efficient Shades Stay Snug When

Temps Dip

Cellular Honeycomb Shades

The unique cellular construction of Duette® Honeycomb Shades — the most energy efficient window treatment available - traps air in distinct pockets, so your house stays comfortable when it’s cold.

Insulated Roman Shades

Another two-styles-in-one shade option,Solera® Soft Shades combine the sculpted look of a Roman shade with the construction of a cellular shade. The result? A beautiful, cordless solution for taking a bite out of winter.

NEED HELP CHOOSING AN ENERGY-EFFICIENT SHADE?

Explore your options with a local Hunter Douglas specialist at Young Lyon Floor + Home today.

Saranac Lake: Adirondack Style, turn key townhome on the shores of Ampersand Bay on lower Saranac Lake with 3 stories, new siding and HVAC system, on-site restaurant &  wine bar, great  rental potential. $569,000

Lake Placid: Sand Brook Lodge, beautifully furnished 4 BR, 4 BA end-unit at the Whiteface Club & Resort, adjacent to golf course, bright open LR, DR and kitchen area w/propane fireplace, wrap around deck, garage, great rental history. $999,900

Lake Placid: Two beautiful, newly built log homes, 2 BR, 2 BA house and a 1 BR cabin with kitchen, living space and bath on a private lot on the Chubb River, customize or house plans available. Close to the village. $795,000

Lake Placid: Harbor Condo, updated end-unit coming fully furnished with rare sweeping views of both Lake Placid Lake and Mirror Lake including Whiteface Mtn and the High-Peaks. Excellent vacation rental oppt’y. $848,000

Saranac Lake: Two private islands bridged by a 2-slip boathouse, includes a 1100 sq. ft. main cabin, guest cabin, 2-story tree house, accommodates up to 18 guests, watercraft & most furnishings included, satellite internet & landline. $1,090,000

Willsboro: Constructed in 1810, the historic Ross Mill, built along the Bouquet River has been updated with a new roof and new timber frame supports, views and sounds of the river are captivating! $775,000

Jay: Buy this partially finished home and finish it  to your needs! 8.9 acres, 4000 sf living space, potential 5+ BR, 3.5+ BA, septic, well, 2 car garage, workshop, views of the Great Range. $550,000

Wilmington: Partially updated home, 1 acre close to Whiteface Mtn, new insulation, windows, doors, new flooring not yet installed, 200 amp service, propane furnace installed in 2022, drilled well, 26’ x 30’ garage. $129,900

Lake Placid: Spacious 4 BR, 3.5 BA home in Placid Meadows, shared rights to Alford Pond, 11.23 acres, borders NYS land, radiant in-floor heat, heated in-ground saltwater pool, trails, 2-car garage, and work shed. $1,125,000

Follow your dream, home.

COLLEEN M. HOLMES | REAL

2297 Saranac Ave | Lake Placid | NY 12946 O + 1 518-523-4404 | F + 1 518-523-4405 lakeplacid@evrealestate.com Real Estate lakeplacid.evrealestate.com | Vacation Rentals lakeplacidvacationhomes.com

THE ADIRONDACK pARK

Potsdam •

• West Chazy

• Glens Falls

Plattsburgh •

7/2/24, 7/9/24, 7/16/24

Songs on Mirror Lake - Lake Placid

7/4/24, 7/8/24, 7/10/24, 7/15/24, 7/17/24, 7/22/24, 7/24/24, 7/29/24, 7/31/24

Summer Sunset Concert Series - Tupper Lake

7/8/24 - 7/10/24

Lake Placid Summit Youth Lacrosse - Lake Placid

7/2/24 - 7/7/24

I Love NY Horse Show - Lake Placid

7/26/24 - 7/28/24

CAN/AM Rugby Tournament - Saranac Lake & Lake Placid

7/18/24

Saranac Lake Third Thursday Art Walk - Saranac Lake

7/21/24

IRONMAN Lake Placid - Lake Placid

7/29/24 - 8/4/24

Lake Placid Summit Classic Lacrosse - Lake Placid

Goodnow Mountain

ACTIVITY: Hiking

DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate

DISTANCE: 3.8 miles, round-trip

TOP 5

TOP 5

DIRECTIONS: Follow state Route 28N out of Long Lake toward Newcomb. Continue for 11.4miles from Long Lake to the trailhead on the right. This is 1.5 miles west of the Adirondack Interpretive Center in Newcomb.

TOP 5 Can’t Miss Hikes in the Long Lake Region

TOP 5 Can’t Miss Hikes in the Long Lake Region

By SPENCER MORRISSEY

By SPENCER MORRISSEY

Mud Pond Mountain

ACTIVITY: Hiking

DIFFICULTY: Easy

DISTANCE: 5.0 miles, round-trip

DIRECTIONS: From the intersection of state Route 30 and Kickerville Road in Long Lake, follow Kickerville Road to the end at the old stone gate house. Continue past the gate house on the dirt road just to the right of the building and continue for just under a mile to the parking on the left.

Goodnow Mountain

Goodnow Mountain

ACTIVITY: Hiking

Northville/Placid Trail

ACTIVITY: Hiking

DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate DISTANCE: Make it what you want

DIRECTIONS: From the intersection of state Route 30 and Route 28N, follow Route 28N toward Newcomb. Continue for 1.5 miles to Tarbell Hill Road on the left. Follow this for just under a mile to the parking area at the top of the hill, and the trail is just over the hill on the right.

Owls Head Mountain

ACTIVITY: Hiking

DIFFICULTY: Moderate

DISTANCE: 6.4 miles, round-trip

DIRECTIONS: From the intersection of state Route 30 and Endion Road, follow Endion Road. Continue for 1.6 miles to the trailhead on the right.

Northville/Placid Trail

Sargent Ponds Loop

ACTIVITY: Hiking

DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate

DISTANCE: 6.8 miles, one way

DIRECTIONS: You can find these two trailheads off the Forked Lake Road in Long Lake. Start at the three corners in Long Lake and drive south toward Blue Mountain Lake on state Route 28N/30. North Point Road will be on the right in 3.0 miles - drive down North Point Road. There will be a fork in the road a few miles in; right leads to Forked Lake Campsite, left to the trailheads. The trailheads will both be marked with state Department of Environmental Conservation signs on the left side of the road. The first trailhead is at 3.1 miles from the intersection with Forked Lake Road; 1.5 miles separate the two trailheads.

Sargent Ponds Loop

Northville/Placid Trail

ACTIVITY: Hiking

ACTIVITY: Hiking

Sargent Ponds Loop

ACTIVITY: Hiking

DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate

ACTIVITY: Hiking

DISTANCE: 3.8 miles, round-trip

DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate

DISTANCE: 3.8 miles, round-trip

DIRECTIONS: Follow state Route 28N out of Long Lake toward Newcomb. Continue for 11.4miles from Long Lake to the trailhead on the right. This is 1.5 miles west of the Adirondack Interpretive Center in Newcomb.

DIRECTIONS: Follow state Route 28N out of Long Lake toward Newcomb. Continue for 11.4miles from Long Lake to the trailhead on the right. This is 1.5 miles west of the Adirondack Interpretive Center in Newcomb.

Mud Pond Mountain

DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate DISTANCE: Make it what you want

DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate DISTANCE: Make it what you want

DIRECTIONS: From the intersection of state Route 30 and Route 28N, follow Route 28N toward Newcomb. Continue for 1.5 miles to Tarbell Hill Road on the left. Follow this for just under a mile to the parking area at the top of the hill, and the trail is just over the hill on the right.

DIRECTIONS: From the intersection of state Route 30 and Route 28N, follow Route 28N toward Newcomb. Continue for 1.5 miles to Tarbell Hill Road on the left. Follow this for just under a mile to the parking area at the top of the hill, and the trail is just over the hill on the right.

Mud Pond Mountain

ACTIVITY: Hiking

DIFFICULTY: Easy

ACTIVITY: Hiking

Owls Head Mountain

DISTANCE: 5.0 miles, round-trip

DIFFICULTY: Easy

DISTANCE: 5.0 miles, round-trip

DIRECTIONS: From the intersection of state Route 30 and Kickerville Road in Long Lake, follow Kickerville Road to the end at the old stone gate house. Continue past the gate house on the dirt road just to the right of the building and continue for just under a mile to the parking on the left.

DIRECTIONS: From the intersection of state Route 30 and Kickerville Road in Long Lake, follow Kickerville Road to the end at the old stone gate house. Continue past the gate house on the dirt road just to the right of the building and continue for just under a mile to the parking on the left.

Owls Head Mountain

ACTIVITY: Hiking

DIFFICULTY: Moderate

ACTIVITY: Hiking

DISTANCE: 6.4 miles, round-trip

DIFFICULTY: Moderate

DISTANCE: 6.4 miles, round-trip

DIRECTIONS: From the intersection of state Route 30 and Endion Road, follow Endion Road. Continue for 1.6 miles to the trailhead on the right.

DIRECTIONS: From the intersection of state Route 30 and Endion Road, follow Endion Road. Continue for 1.6 miles to the trailhead on the right.

DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate

ACTIVITY: Hiking

DISTANCE: 6.8 miles, one way

DIRECTIONS: You can find these two trailheads off the Forked Lake Road in Long Lake. Start at the three corners in Long Lake and drive south toward Blue Mountain Lake on state Route 28N/30. North Point Road will be on the right in 3.0 miles - drive down North Point Road. There will be a fork in the road a few miles in; right leads to Forked Lake Campsite, left to the trailheads. The trailheads will both be marked with state Department of Environmental Conservation signs on the left side of the road. The first trailhead is at 3.1 miles from the intersection with Forked Lake Road; 1.5 miles separate the two trailheads.

DIFFICULTY: Easy to moderate DISTANCE: 6.8 miles, one way DIRECTIONS: You can find these two trailheads off the Forked Lake Road in Long Lake. Start at the three corners in Long Lake and drive south toward Blue Mountain Lake on state Route 28N/30. North Point Road will be on the right in 3.0 miles - drive down North Point Road. There will be a fork in the road a few miles in; right leads to Forked Lake Campsite, left to the trailheads. The trailheads will both be marked with state Department of Environmental Conservation signs on the left side of the road. The first trailhead is at 3.1 miles from the intersection with Forked Lake Road; 1.5 miles separate the two trailheads.

Incredible Recreational Property on 145.6

COUNTRYSIDE LIVING

3 Bed, 1.5 Bath ~ 1,298 Sq. Ft. ~ 10.38 Acres One Story Log Home ~ Knotty Pine Interior Vaulted Ceiling ~ Hardwood Cabinetry Hardwood Floors ~ Soap Stone Woodstove Two Car Garage ~ Excellent Condition Jay Price: $390,000 MLS# 200574

ADIRONDACK CRAFTMANSHIP

5 Bed, 3 Bath ~ 2,214 Sq. Ft. ~ 14.6 Acres Vaulted Knotty Pine Ceiling ~ Open Concept Interior ~ Primary Bedroom with Ensuite Bath Additional Garage with Finished Overhead Space Screened Porch ~ Minutes from Whiteface Mt. Jay Price: $625,000 MLS# 200996

Placid, High Peaks & Lake Champlain. A rare special property!!

SPRINGFIELD ROAD HOME with 24 ACRES

3 Bed., 1 Bath ~1,164

$345,000 MLS# 201266

AFFORDABLE COZY LOG HOME

3 Bed., 1 Bath ~ 1,225 Sq. Ft. ~ 0.87 Acres ~ Open Flow Kitchen, Dining and Living Room ~ Upgrades to Main Level including ~ Bath ~ One Car Attached

BORDERS WICKHAM MARSH

Plattsburgh Quarry (518) 561-5200

Saranac Lake Quarry (518) 891-0236

Tupper Lake Concrete (518) 359-3497

Saranac Lake Concrete (518) 536-3639

Potsdam Concrete (315) 265-8036

Plattsburgh Quarry (518) 561-5200

Massena Concrete (315) 764-0251

Platttsburgh Concrete (518) 536-3636

Malone Concrete (518) 483-2671

Malone Concrete (518) 483-2671

Massena Concrete (315) 764-0251

Ogdensburg Concrete (315) 393-4240

Ogdensburg Concrete (315) 393-4240

Saranac Lake Quarry (518) 891-0236

Potsdam Concrete (315) 265-8037

PEOPLE & PLACES

ABOVE: JT Wint and Debbie Erenstone pose after they were recognized as the youth and adult Lake Placid and North Elba Distinguished Volunteers of the Year.

RIGHT: From left, the superheroes from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center offering free food to the Lake Placid Community Day crowd are training center employees Donna Day and Vail Cote and U.S. skeleton athlete Andy Whittier.

LAKE PLACID CELEBRATES

COMMUNITY DAY

LEFT: Volunteer Keela Rogers, left, helps young Jasmin with free reading material from the Lake Placid Public Library.

RIGHT: Gail Thayer, standing, watches Merriloons the clown paint a rainbow on the face of Madelyn.

LEFT: Sam Peterson, of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center, flips hamburgers at the food tent.

Members of Big

perform during Lake Placid Community Day.

Hundreds of people turned out for the sixth annual Lake Placid Community Day on Sunday, June 2 at the North Elba Show Grounds. The event is designed for people who live, work and volunteer in the village of Lake Placid and town of North Elba. It was a chance to learn about more than 30 community organizations and hear speeches from the 2024 Lake Placid-North Elba Distinguished Volunteers of the Year, who were Debbie Erenstone (adult) and JT Wint (youth). Photos – Andy Flynn

ABOVE:

Boss Sausage

Fireman’s landing is the ultimate in privacy on the river. The camp is on a dead end of a several’s mile’s long gated private drive. The property has only one distant neighbor. The parcel is surrounded by NYS forever wild land that can never be developed, ensuring privacy into the future. Even the land across the river is state forest preserve so no development can be done anywhere in view of this property.

Exclusively listed for $319,000 Call Emily Fogarty at 518-524-4733

TWO WATERFRONT LOTS WITH UTILITIES

Perched high overlooking Moody Pond and four mountains; Mount Baker, Mackenzie, Haystack and Scarface, this gorgeous waterfront lot nestled in woods, has a very private feel to it. It is among the very best views in Saranac Lake,and right in the heart of the Adirondacks! Enjoy swimming, fishing, boating and ice skating right from your own property. Take a 1 mile walk around Moody Pond, an hour hike up Mount Baker or get on the rail trail that takes you into the center of the village, only ½ mile away.Be accompanied by wildlife in your backyard and during these excursions.There is a Mobile home hooked up to utilities, but the listing is being sold as vacant land and “as is”. A unique feature is that there is an adjacent .29 acre lot listed as well, perfect for friends or family. Don’t miss out on this

Exclusively listed for $365,000 Call Emily Fogarty at 518-524-4733

COUNTRY LIVING

This red cabin .29 acre building lot on Moody Pond has access to water, sewer and electricity. It has recently been subdivided from a larger piece of property, also listed. Owner is offering 15 ft. right of way over contiguous property waterfront, to be finalized at signing of purchase offer and significant downpayment. It’s located right on Forest Hill Ave.,on the trek of Moody Pond and leading to the Mount Baker trail.This little lot has a whole lot to offer.

Exclusively listed for $130,000 Call Emily Fogarty at 518-524-4733

PENDING

Charming 3 bed, 1.5 bath home on 1.93 acres offers room for everyone with its large 2 car garage & fenced in dog run.

Christopher W. Covert, Jr., Lic. RE Broker

Carol Urquhart, Associate Broker, Patricia “Penny” Curran, Lorraine Kelley, Licensed Real Estate Salespersons Over 100 Years Combined Experience

Rockledge Camp

Enjoy the lake from your own private patio at this great, 2 bedroom, Adirondack cottage in 80’ of waterfront. This year round access property offers boat access to Upper Saranac Lake as well as Fish Creek.

Exclusive $575,000

Room For All Your Toys

This 3 BR, 2 BA home has a large, 3+ bay, heated and insulated garage. It is situated on 2.28 acres. Close to Upper Saranac Lake boat launch at Back Bay.

Reduced $370,000

www.guideboatrealty.com www.guideboatrealty.com

Tamsin Wentzel gets drafted during the 2017 Miracle on Ice Fantasy Camp with members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team. From left are John Harrington, Mark Pavelich, Tamzin Wentzel and Buzz Schneider. (Staff photo — Andy Flynn)

Wentzel takes part in the 2010 Miracle on Ice Fantasy Camp. (Staff photo – Griffin Kelly)

Tamzin Wentzel poses at the Olympic Center on May 7. (Staff photo – Sydney Emerson)

LIVING IN THE ADIRONDACKS

For the Love of Hockey

Tamsin Wentzel’s journey from South Africa to Lake Placid

By Sydney Emerson

Love makes people do crazy things, the adage goes. For Tamsin Wentzel, the love of hockey led her family of four to move continents in 2018 — from Port Elizabeth, South Africa to Lake Placid.

“(People) thought I was nuts,” Wentzel said about the big move.

She and her daughters first started skating at a rink in a shopping mall in Port Elizabeth.

“Toward the end of the courses, my one daughter got asked if she wanted to learn how to play hockey. I said ‘No way,’ because it’s too violent and they’ve got no teeth,” Wentzel said. Wentzel soon changed her mind and let her daughter play. After she saw other women playing with her daughter’s team, she decided to pick up a stick, too. After about six months, she started looking for hockey camps in the U.S. and Canada for her daughter and instead found one for herself — Miracle on Ice Fantasy Camp, hosted every spring in Lake Placid

“I knew about John Harrington and Mark Johnson being women’s hockey coaches, so I thought, ‘Well, at least I can network, meet them and see if they’d come coach in South Africa.’ So that was the plan,” she said. “I came and played — well, tried to play — but I had a lot of fun and everyone was really welcoming.”

Wentzel had a unique way of funding the 2017 trip to Lake Placid. Her daughter, before falling under hockey’s spell, was an equestrian. To purchase the plane tickets and camp slots, her daughter agreed to let Wentzel sell her horse. According to Wentzel, the horse brought in enough money for the expensive overseas journey. She returned for a second round of fantasy camp in 2018 — selling the family’s second horse to

do so — and also brought her daughter to the annual CAN/AM Pond Hockey Tournament. It was there that her daughter was offered a spot at Northwood School, the perfect excuse to emigrate to Lake Placid and immerse the whole family in hockey, Wentzel said.

“We used that as leverage to emigrate to the U.S. My husband got a transfer from South Africa, and we came back in September (2018),” she said.

The family has lived in Lake Placid for five years now. After attending two more Miracle on Ice Fantasy Camps as a U.S. resident, Wentzel began working for the state Olympic Regional Development Authority as the women’s locker room team manager and locker room attendant for the fantasy camp. She’s worked at the past two fantasy camps. She also works for ORDA as the corporate and group sales coordinator as part of the Lake Placid legacy adventures team.

Hockey isn’t a huge sport in South Africa, and Wentzel said that she never could’ve imagined she’d end up falling in love with the sport, let alone uprooting her whole family for it.

Her eldest daughter graduated from Northwood two years ago and is now a pre-med student at the University of Vermont, and her youngest daughter is a member of Northwood’s class of 2024. Wentzel said that the family loves living in the Adirondacks because there are so many recreational opportunities.

“There’s always something going on. I enjoy being part of the different events and learning about different sports, being involved in ski jumping, the bobsled and skeleton events,” she said. “(The area) is small enough that you can get involved with anything and everything if you want to.”

Tomi Gallagher: Tomi Gallagher: 95 Years on the keys 95 Years on the keys and Counting and Counting

Tomi Gallagher ran her fingers over the keys of a baby grand piano inside the great room of the Saranac Village at Will Rogers retirement community. The light and cheery notes of her “warm-up song” rang out, slow, then fast and rich with atmosphere — the result of 95 years of musical love.

Gallagher, 99, started playing piano when she was 4 years old.

“It warms the cockles of my heart!” Gallagher declared. “That’s a Scottish saying.”

She punctuates her stories and jokes with musical bumpers on the keys, using the piano as another form of communication to drive home a punch line or a statement.

She still has her first baby grand piano — which she refers to as “Lady” — in her room at Will Rogers.

“It’s been part of my life,” Gallagher said.

On May 1, she accompanied the Will Rogers Singers in their monthly concert, backing them up on songs by Nat King Cole, Dean Martin and John Denver.

concerts in people’s homes and taught music in the schools, becoming a driving force for music in town.

Her daughter Felista said Gallagher was part of a group of women who invited musicians to the area, housing and feeding them when they came to perform.

Gallagher’s daughter Beth said things have come a long way and now there’s a “phenomenal” music program in the school and music all around.

Gallagher said she’s thrilled with Saranac Lake’s current performing arts community. Her parents were musicians and vaudevillians, who she describes as “loose ... free people.” They made being odd and different part of their profession.

A couple of minutes later, when Will Rogers employees began a round of “Happy Birthday” to celebrate all of the residents’ birthdays for the month of April, Gallagher jumped on the melody and played along.

Gallagher will celebrate her 100th birthday in September.

“It’s only a number,” she said. “And I’m only a kid.”

Gallagher said when she and her husband Bill moved to Saranac Lake to teach in the early 1950s, there wasn’t much music and she had a bit of a “culture shock.” Saranac Lake had been a tuberculosis town for years, and Will Rogers had been a hospital for actors and artists suffering from the disease. But after a cure was discovered, she said the town didn’t have much music anymore. She performed at restaurants, played

She lived in Albany and in New York City, when she lived at the famous Barbizon hotel for women, where she was surrounded by performers and had a roommate who was a showgirl in the “Follies.”

She studied at The Juilliard School under a strict Russian instructor. But she still remembers what he always told her: “Never waste my time or yours.”

She’s wasted very little time. She and Bill, who shared six decades of love, raised seven children. They volunteered at the 1980 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid. She taught music in Saranac Lake elementary schools and mentored students in a program Bill started; volunteered with Historic Saranac Lake and the Hospital Auxiliary; and worked as a pianist for Pendragon Theatre, local churches and the Lake Placid Center for the Arts. Gallagher had advice for anyone interested in learning an instrument: “Find a teacher and do it. It can be a life saver. It will change your life.”

She also has advice for artists in general. “If you find something different that you do ... some little niche that makes ‘you’ ... find something that makes you different and they’ll remember you,” Gallagher said.

Tomi Gallagher plays piano in the great room at the Saranac Village at Will Rogers on May 1 while her daughter Beth turns the pages. Gallagher, 99, a resident of Will Rogers, has been playing piano for 95 years and still has the baby grand she learned on back then inside her room at the retirement community. (PhotoAaron Marbone)

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